Order Management Systems (OMS): Streamline Fulfillment
BSimple’s order management system streamlines the complete order-to-cash workflow:
- Multi-channel order capture from portals, ecommerce, and manual entry
- Automatic stock allocation and availability checking
- Customer-specific pricing and order history
- Pick list generation and fulfillment tracking
- Xero invoice integration for seamless accounting
- Order analytics and performance reporting
Order management is the operational heartbeat of product-based businesses. From the moment a customer places an order until they receive the product and you’re paid, dozens of tasks need to happen: check stock availability, verify pricing, allocate inventory, generate pick lists, coordinate shipping, create invoices, track payments. Do this manually and you’re drowning in admin work. Automate it with an order management system (OMS) and fulfillment becomes smooth and scalable.
An OMS isn’t just software that tracks orders—it’s an integrated system that connects customer orders with inventory management, warehouse operations, accounting, and customer communication. For Australian businesses managing B2B orders, ecommerce sales, or wholesale distribution, an effective OMS transforms fulfillment from a daily scramble into a streamlined workflow.
BSimple’s order management system handles the complete order lifecycle, from multi-channel order capture through fulfillment and Xero invoicing, providing the automation and visibility that manual processes can’t deliver.
Multi-Channel Order Capture and Processing
Orders arrive from multiple sources—your website, customer phone calls, email requests, sales reps, customer ordering portals. Managing these channels separately creates chaos. An effective OMS consolidates all order sources into one unified workflow.
BSimple’s multi-channel approach:
- Customer Ordering Portals: Give each customer a dedicated login where they see their products, their pricing, and their order history. Customers place orders directly without phone calls or emails. This reduces your admin workload while giving customers 24/7 ordering convenience
- Manual Order Entry: For phone or email orders, staff can quickly enter orders into the system with customer-specific pricing automatically applied. No looking up pricing sheets or manually calculating totals
- Ecommerce Integration: Shopify, Amazon, or other platform orders flow into the OMS automatically, allocating from the same inventory pool as B2B orders. Multi-channel businesses manage all sales in one system
- Sales Rep Orders: Field sales teams can enter customer orders on mobile devices, checking stock availability and pricing in real-time before committing delivery dates
All orders, regardless of source, enter the same fulfillment workflow with the same stock allocation, the same warehouse pick lists, and the same Xero invoicing. You’re managing one order book, not four disconnected systems.
For businesses handling order management transitions, consolidating channels into one OMS eliminates the complexity of multiple systems.
Automated Fulfillment Workflows and Stock Allocation
The gap between receiving an order and fulfilling it is where most operational inefficiency hides. Manual processes mean orders sit in email inboxes waiting for data entry, warehouse staff hunt for pick lists printed hours ago, and nobody knows which orders are urgent until customers call asking where their products are.
BSimple automates the fulfillment workflow:
Automatic Stock Checking: When orders are entered, the system checks available stock (on-hand minus already allocated). If stock is available, the order is approved and allocated. If stock is insufficient, the order is flagged for review—partial fulfillment, backorder, or priority purchasing decision.
Order Queue Management: Approved orders enter a fulfillment queue prioritized by urgency, customer importance, or your business rules. Warehouse staff see exactly which orders to fulfill without hunting through papers or emails.
Pick List Generation: The system generates pick lists showing which products to pick for each order, organized by warehouse location for efficient picking. Pick lists include barcodes for scan verification if you’re using that level of warehouse automation.
Fulfillment Tracking: As orders are picked, packed, and shipped, status updates automatically. Customers can track their orders through portals without calling your office. You can see which orders are delayed and proactively communicate with customers.
This workflow automation turns order fulfillment from a manual multi-step process into a streamlined operation where orders flow from entry to shipment with minimal human intervention. The result? Faster fulfillment, fewer errors, and better customer experience.
Integration with Inventory and Accounting Systems
Order management doesn’t exist in isolation—it’s intimately connected to inventory (do we have stock?) and accounting (creating invoices and tracking payments). The power of an OMS comes from these integrations working seamlessly.
Inventory Integration: Every order checks real-time inventory before allocation. When orders are fulfilled, stock decrements automatically. If you’re receiving new stock from purchase orders, the OMS knows about incoming inventory and can allocate against expected deliveries. This tight integration prevents overselling and enables accurate delivery commitments.
The inventory connection also flows the other direction: inventory insights inform order management. If a product is being discontinued, the OMS can flag customers who regularly order that product. If inventory for a bestseller is running low, the system prioritizes orders for that SKU.
Xero Accounting Integration: For Australian businesses, Xero integration is essential. BSimple’s OMS creates Xero invoices automatically when orders are fulfilled:
- Line items, quantities, and pricing flow from the order to the invoice
- GST is applied correctly based on customer type and product GST treatment
- COGS is calculated based on actual inventory costs for accurate profit tracking
- Payment tracking links back to the original order for complete order-to-cash visibility
This integration eliminates the nightmare of manual invoice creation. Fulfill an order and the Xero invoice is created seconds later with perfect accuracy. Your bookkeeper gets clean data without manual entry or reconciliation.
For businesses managing ecommerce alongside wholesale, our ecommerce inventory system extends this integration across multiple sales channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an order management system (OMS)?
An order management system is software that manages the complete order-to-cash workflow: order capture from multiple channels, stock allocation and availability checking, fulfillment workflows and pick list generation, shipping coordination, invoice creation, and payment tracking. An OMS integrates order processing with inventory management and accounting for streamlined operations.
Why do Australian businesses need an order management system?
Australian businesses benefit from OMS platforms because they automate fulfillment workflows, integrate with Xero for GST-compliant invoicing, provide customer ordering portals to reduce admin work, manage multi-channel orders (B2B, ecommerce, retail) from one system, and scale efficiently as order volumes grow. Manual order processing becomes unsustainable beyond 20-30 orders per week.
Can an OMS handle both B2B and ecommerce orders?
Yes, effective order management systems like BSimple handle multiple sales channels from one platform. B2B wholesale orders from customer portals, ecommerce orders from Shopify or Amazon, and retail POS transactions all flow into the same fulfillment workflow. The OMS allocates from shared inventory and creates appropriate invoices regardless of order source.
How does order management integrate with inventory software?
Order management and inventory management are tightly integrated. Orders check real-time inventory before allocation, fulfilled orders decrement stock automatically, backorders track against incoming purchase orders, and inventory insights inform order processing (low stock priorities, discontinued products). The OMS and inventory system work as one integrated platform, not separate disconnected systems.
Does BSimple order management integrate with Xero?
Yes, BSimple creates Xero invoices automatically when orders are fulfilled. The integration includes line items, pricing, quantities, GST treatment, and COGS calculations. Payment tracking links Xero payments back to original orders. This eliminates manual invoice creation and ensures accounting records match operational fulfillment without reconciliation.
Can customers track their orders through an OMS?
Yes, modern order management systems like BSimple provide customer portals where customers can view order status in real-time. Customers see which orders are pending, being picked, shipped, or invoiced without calling your office. This self-service capability reduces admin calls while improving customer experience and transparency.